EASE: The Materna Prep Pivotal Study

Vaginal delivery is a major risk factor for pelvic floor dysfunction. Clinical aspects of pelvic floor dysfunction include pelvic organ prolapse, sexual dysfunction, and fecal and urinary incontinence. Trauma to the pelvic structures occurs as the fetal head passes through the vaginal canal, especially with acute distension at the time of crowning - the exiting of the fetal head.

The Materna Prep Device is a single-use, semi-automated dilator used during the first phase of labor in order to prepare the vaginal canal for vaginal delivery. By slowly pre-stretching the vagina and surrounding pelvic tissues during labor, the device is essentially dictating the strain rate of the tissue during labor. In previous feasibility studies, the elastic recovery of the tissue has been shown to be on the order of several hours, allowing the benefits of pre-stretching the vagina and surrounding pelvic tissues to last throughout labor. The device is intended to be removed prior to the initiation of the second stage of labor, for delivery to occur unobstructed.

The target patient population for this study is nulliparous women entering the first phase of labor and scheduled for vaginal delivery with an epidural.

Inclusion criteria

Criteria for inclusion

• Subject is scheduled for vaginal birth.
• Subject is gestating a single fetus.
• Subject is nulliparous, or had a previous pregnancy terminated within 24 weeks gestation.
• Subject is able and willing to comply with the protocol required follow-up visits.
• Subject is able and willing to provide written informed consent prior to enrollment.
• In the opinion of the Investigator, the subject has sufficient mental capacity to understand the informed consent form (ICF), comply with the protocol requirements, and provide clinically relevant and reliable feedback regarding their experience with the device.
• Subject receives epidural anesthesia during labor prior to enrollment.
• Subject is 18 years of age or older at time of consent.

Exclusion criteria

Criteria for exclusion

• Subject has high likelihood of less than 1 hour of potential device dilation time after she arrives at the hospital.
• Subject is planning or requires a Caesarean-section prior to randomization.
• Subject begins labor with less than 36 weeks gestation.
• Subject has a neurological disorder that could cause pelvic floor dysfunction, such as multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury.
• Subject has a collagen-associated disorder that affects tissue elasticity, such as scleroderma or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
• Subject has a localized (genital tract) or systemic infection.
• Subject has a medical history which could lead to pelvic floor dysfunction, such as prior pelvic fractures, pelvic soft tissue injuries, or vaginal surgery.
• Subject has any general health condition or systemic disease that may represent, in the opinion of the Investigator, a potential increased risk associated with device use or pregnancy.
• Subject has placenta previa or vasa previa.
• Subject has known significant chromosomal or structural fetal anomalies.
• Subject has a category 2 and/or 3 fetal tracing that is unresolved.
• Subject is observed to have friable, denuded, or markedly edematous vaginal tissue during the course of labor.